Title

Author

Month/Year of Graduation

5-2018

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

English

First Advisor

Dr. Chin Chang Chao

Abstract

Idioms, proverbs and other metaphorical language are a base component to how people communicate that has to be mutually understood. Slang and common sayings are a fundamental part of language. With language being such a large factor of culture, it’s natural to assume that it would mimic cultural ideals and norms. This study focuses on the cultural dimension Individualism/Collectivism and if the orientation correlates to language usage. The goal of this research is to conduct an analysis of the use of idiomatic expressions in comparison to Individualistic or Collectivistic orientation and setting.

Research of expressions and phrases has been done in several languages from cultures of varying levels within the Individualism/Collectivism dimension. The data is achieved by surveying the populace on their cultural dimension and responses to idiomatic expressions with Individualistic or Collectivistic ideals. As a result, this study contributes to the field of cultural dimensions and linguistic idiom analysis by examining the connection between the two. It finds a correlation to situational type and the I/C dimension as well as a connection to multilingual learning and Collectivistic traits. Further, it attempts to dig deeper into different languages’ associations with cultures and their dimensions.

Recommended Citation

Wiese, Marissa, "They Say It Where I’m From: Using the Language of Idioms to Compare the Characteristics of Individualism vs. Collectivism" (2018). Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects. 29.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/university_honors_program/29